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Chilean citrus sets brix, acidity standards

As Chilean navel exports enter their peak season, a new quality-control program is ensuring that fruit arriving in the U.S. is sweet and meets other quality standards.

The Santiago-based Chilean Citrus Committee, which represents 85% of the citrus imported from Chile to North America, created the Orange Ripening Verification Program to ensure quality, according to a news release from the Sonoma, Calif.-based Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.

The committee hired Chile’s Fruit Development Foundation, an independent body, to make sure that exported Chilean citrus has a minimum of 9 brix and has good acidity levels.

“Chile’s agricultural practices and regulations are very stringent,” Tom Tjerandsen, managing director for North America for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, said in the release. “This new citrus verification program is just another example of Chile’s commitment to providing North Americans with the best and tastiest oranges and citrus.”

About 1,100 metric tons of Chilean navels were expected to arrive at U.S. retailers the week of June 25.

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About the Author:

Andy Nelson, markets editor

Andy Nelson joined The Packer as a staff writer in 2001. He became the paper's Handling & Distributing editor in 2005 and markets editor in 2006. Before joining Vance, Nelson was a staff writer for The Kansas City Star.